Ideas for revamping a small driveway

[Trail71]

New member to the DIY forums - it's that time of year when the DIY kicks in, right?

I'm staring at my driveway and wondering what options I have to revamp it - photos attached.

The project would have to be fueled by stuff that can be bought from local DIY stores, no specialist equipment wanted.

Am wondering whether it can be resurfaced with a new layer of concrete?

Thanks all

 

[Doghouse Riley]

Hi and welcome.

If you're going to concrete it, it might not be be as easy as you think.
You need a fair bit of preparation and you'd need to hire a concrete mixer and order the materials, or have it delivered by BarrowMix or whoever.


An alternative is to flag it.

Some local authorities are disposing of the regular "corporation" flagstones and replacing pavements with tarmac. There might be an inexpensive source from there.

Or check on eBay.

There you go.

flagstones for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for flagstones. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Excellent advice Doghouse.

I'd just concrete it to 4" thick and forget it. Neighbours have assorted drives along the street; blocks which look ghastly with weeds growing through the joints and sunken where cars always park beneath the wheels; tarmac which looks good at first then starts to peel and one neighbour has recently had a resin driveway installed; I would never have this done. Our driveway is concrete and has been down for about 60 years; it's due for replacement and it will be another concrete driveway.

Your driveway is small enough to tackle on your own and it doesn't have to be done in a day; take your time and prepare solid foundations then buy a new cement mixer; I did a big job a few years ago and bought a new cement mixer which I kept for six weeks then sold on at a loss of only £30 I took care of the mixer and it still looked like new; much cheaper than hiring and a great deal less hassle.

Do your research first as to concrete mix proportions and adhere to them.

I've also laid many 3' x 2' flagstones these being heavy and still needing good foundations plus bedding mortar so flagstones aren't easy either and the smaller ones are prone to settlement.

Your money so your choice but I'd say do the job once and do it well whichever you decide.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Trail71]

Thanks to both - all good info.

I've only had one quote so far and that weighed in at £800 +vat which is way over what I was thinking. I usually get some quotes then figure out I can do it myself for less, even if I bought some tools.

I would probably hire a mixer, as I don't think I would have any use for one after this job - I take it you can't mix in a bucket with one of those drill paddle attachments for concrete?

The upper 2/3 of the drive is pretty much solid, would I need to lift the whole driveway, or could I repair the bottom 1/3 and blend it into the upper section, that's intact? It's not used much, only to drive in and out of the garage, with no standing time on the actual driveway.

Thanks again,

 

[Doghouse Riley]

You can't mix concrete with an electric drill and paddle attachment. It would be far too heavy and it'd burn out the drill.

There's no easy way of mixing concrete without a cement mixer, for the amount you'd need.

A consideration when you lay the concrete is the required "fall," to clear rainwater. This should be away from the garage and towards the nearest soak away place, like a garden border or the road. Around an inch or so "the right way" is enough.
An inch "the wrong way" would be a nightmare.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Brilliant video Doghouse; reminds me of my apprentice days when I was using a big industrial drill whilst standing on 1" thick steel plate drilling it; I was wearing hobnailed boots and I did a fair impression of Gromit as the drill bit jammed at break through.

You have a choice Trail71; either do a good job or a cheap job; the cheap job will be the most expensive long term; if you do the work yourself you're already saving money on labour; why not dig it out yourself and dispose of the debris then have the ready mixed concrete delivered as Doghouse suggested; saves messing around with a cement mixer which by the way is extremely hard graft; access looks excellent so it would just be a case of spreading the concrete and levelling to a gradient. Whichever way you choose it's going to cost money or you could save all the money and leave it as it is until you can afford at a later date.

When I bought my cement mixer it poured with rain for over a week; I'm pleased I didn't rent it because the job I was doing lasted 6 weeks due to our dire climate.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Doghouse Riley]

Hi,

Brilliant video Doghouse; reminds me of my apprentice days when I was using a big industrial drill whilst standing on 1" thick steel plate drilling it; I was wearing hobnailed boots and I did a fair impression of Gromit as the drill bit jammed at break through.

You have a choice Trail71; either do a good job or a cheap job; the cheap job will be the most expensive long term; if you do the work yourself you're already saving money on labour; why not dig it out yourself and dispose of the debris then have the ready mixed concrete delivered as Doghouse suggested; saves messing around with a cement mixer which by the way is extremely hard graft; access looks excellent so it would just be a case of spreading the concrete and levelling to a gradient. Whichever way you choose it's going to cost money or you could save all the money and leave it as it is until you can afford at a later date.

When I bought my cement mixer it poured with rain for over a week; I'm pleased I didn't rent it because the job I was doing lasted 6 weeks due to our dire climate.

Kind regards, Colin.

I always think of that Wallace and Grommit cartoon, any time I use my old Wolf drill. I last used it in April to drill 1" drain holes through the base of my koi pool before I had it filled in. It also went throught a paving stone that formed the base of the waterfall and the concrete collar of the pool below it like a knife through butter..well almost!

The drill is very heavy, relatively slow turning, but has tremendous torque. You have to make sure you keep your legs well clear of the handles in case the bit jams..
I've had the drill for about 40 years and it wasn't new when I acquired it.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Your drill looks awfully familiar Doghouse; I'm pretty sure the one I used was identical and had a 3/4" Jacobs chuck fitted. My very first drill I bought from a catalogue in 20 easy payments taking my pocket money each week around 1961 it was a Wolf Cubmaster. I still have a B&D single speed 3/8" drill I bought when Bron and I married in 1976 and it still works.

I tried using my big Titan SDS drill yesterday to drill holes in the workshop floor but it refused to work in percussion mode so I resorted to using my Bosch hammer drill.

We can't have enough toys can we?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Trail71]

Love the exchange - always so good to read :0)

At the moment I'm getting quotes from builders :-/ it's a time factor these days as much as anything - I didn't know though that you could get ready mix concrete delivered- that would be amazing to see a wagon roll up and deliver some fresh mixed crete.

Thanks again for your input - it has helped me decide on what choices to make

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Sorry Trail71; it's easy to forget not everyone knows about buying ready mix concrete; you can buy large or small mixes and it's a lot easier and less hassle than mixing your own;

https://hunterconcretehuddersfield....D0fzZKPYI7n-LZfxbqRD1c5I0hwvdWpcaAoTxEALw_wcB

Just an example shown above with a concrete calculator you might find interesting.

There are many YouTube videos on the subject too. Here in the UK the weather can cause lots of problems with sudden downpours of rain or periods of scorching sun. A good solid foundation is critical for long lasting success.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Doghouse Riley]

BarrowMix are good for small quantities. They turn up with a big wagon that actually mixes it on the vehicle and they wheeelbarrow it from the vehicle to the site.

There are a few firms that do it.

Here's an example.

Get some quotes from a conventional concrete supplier and see if there's a barrowmix supplier near you and do the same.
Calculate how much you'll need. The supplier will help you.
With the conventional type of supply you have to be very accurate with your calculations as they can't take any surplus back. Barrowmix firms will probably charge you by the barrow.